We are heartbroken and shocked by the enormity of the devastation from the fires in Northern California wine country. Many of our friends, neighbors, and wine and hospitality partners have been terribly affected. These communities will need much help in the coming days, weeks, and months to recover and rebuild. Here are some ways you can help.

donate food + supplies

redwood empire food bank

3990 Brickway Blvd., Santa Rosa(Please note, the off-ramp at Airport Blvd. is currently closed in both directions. Please take the Shiloh Road exit heading west, take a left on Skylane Blvd., until you meet Airport Blvd. again)

From REFB: Bring food donations to the REFB right now. We are in dire need of ready-to-eat, non-perishable foods that we can provide to the evacuation centers immediately. These foods should be easy to open and easy to eat - many shelters do not have kitchens for heating and preparing food. Please do not bring glass containers."

the Alembic

1725 Haight Street, SF

From @alembicsf: Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the fires. The farm our Executive Chef Rachel grew up on has been destroyed. Please donate anything you can to help the victims of the Tubbs and Atlas fires. We are collecting the following items from 12pm-close from now through Friday night (at least) and will drive them up on Saturday for relief:• Food• Blankets• Clothing• Medical supplies• Pet food (domestic and livestock)

fort point beer

644 Old Mason Street, SF

From @fortpointbeer: If you are looking to donate supplies to those affected by the #NorthBayfires, our brewery (644 Old Mason Street) is now acting as a drop-off location. Donations can be made this week through Monday from 6am-8pm -- our trucks will be making deliveries to the shelters. Our hearts go out to our family, friends and community in the #NorthBay.

liholiho yacht club

871 Sutter Street, SF

From @liholihoyachtclub: "We must care for our communities. Our farms, dairies, ranches, wineries have all been greatly impacted and most of all, our citizens. Please help & share widely - - - We will be collecting donation through Friday at 11am. We have direct contacts on the ground ready to accept these donations and we will personally deliver them. NEEDED unused, non perishables such as: toiletries, pet food, diapers, blankets, underwear, clothes etc... Chef and crew will also be preparing food and delivering it to those in need, in shelters and wherever requested. PLEASE DROP OFF DONATIONS ANYTIME AFTER 10am - if prior to business hours ring yellow buzzer - WE ARE HERE! - - - Now is the time for us all to show up!

love on haight

1400 Haight Street, SF

From @loveonhaight: "We are accepting food, clothing, bedding and toiletries...bedding is needed bad for shelters including blankets, mattresses, pillows and cots.

We have people going up tonight and tomorrow. We also have people who have offered up their home, please just reach out to us at 4158171027."

fatted calf

320 Fell Street, SF

Oxbow Public Market - 644C First Street, Napa

From @fattedcalf: "In response to the recent wildfires that has affected our communities, we'll be setting up a drop off point for relief supplies at both San Francisco and Napa locations to help provide for our friends and families that have lost so much. Please donate any unused supplies such as: blankets, clothing, toiletries, bottle water, non-perishable foods etc. during our operating hours. Thank you for your support and please continue to share this post!

Many shelters are in need of supplies. See a list of shelters here. UPDATE: Marin County evacuation centers are FULL and cannot accept any more donations.

donate

The Napa Valley Community Relief Fund, which the Napa Valley Vintners established in 2014, immediately following the South Napa earthquake, has been reactivated. Those wishing to make donations can contribute here. The Community Foundation plans to begin distributing funds to those in need in the coming days.

housing for evacuees

Bay Area hotels are starting to offer special rates for fire victims. Check this site for the full list and updates.

Airbnb has launched its Open Homes program for those seeking shelter free of charge at a residence outside of but nearby the affected areas. They are looking for hosts willing to volunteer space at their local home for evacuees.

Large animals can be taken to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds at 1350 Bennett Valley Road. Access the Fairgrounds via Gate 7 on Aston Avenue and Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds at 175 Fairgrounds Drive in Petaluma.

If you have already evacuated to Marin County, Marin Humane can offer emergency board for animals, if needed. Call 415-250-7009.

The Milo Foundation shelter, 220 S. Garrard Blvd., Point Richmond, has taken in pets. If you can foster, visit the shelter, call 510-900-2275 or visit their website.

The SPCA of Solano County, 2200 Peabody Road, Vacaville, is seeking drop-off donations of crates, blankets, towels, food, bowls, etc. for fire victims. It is open until 7 p.m. If you need a place for your animals, call 707-448-7722.

We will continue to update you as we receive more information. Please keep all those affected in your thoughts and prayers.

Our day began with a beautiful view of Central Park from the event space 10 on the Park. Gina and I coordinated many events at the Mandarin Oriental in the past, but never had the chance to work with 10 on the Park, which is also located in the Time Warner Center. The spacious property is perfect for small to mid-size corporate events, but we thought the Circle Room could also be really nice for an intimate tasting or dinner.

The retractable roof at Rock & Reilly's can be completely removed on beautiful days.

After a quick bite at Bouchon, we took a tour of the new Rock & Reilly's rooftop bar located within the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel near Madison Square Garden. We were impressed by the sheer size of the restaurant's outdoor space and the many options for hosting private and semi-private events. The space is super-flexible with setups and menus and has been non-stop since they opened in March!

Next, we made our way to 620 Loft & Garden to set up for a client event. We love working with this space and its blank canvas and outdoor garden. This is our fourth year producing our client's summer party and every year it's even more beautiful. We can't speak any higher of all our vendors: Petal Design Studio, Taylor Creative, and Creative Edge Parties. Thank you for helping to make this event such a success!

The next day began with a few client meetings followed by a lovely Global Summer Sipper wine tasting at Primary, a new co-working space focused on bringing health and wellness to the workplace. We met a great group of entrepreneurs and poured some delicious, refreshing wines including NV Graham Beck Brut, From the Tank Rosé, Dirty & Rowdy Familiar Mourvèdre, and a kosher white, Hagafen Riesling.

Our day ended with cocktails at the new hotspot the blond (which doesn't really get started until 11pm) followed by an epic dinner (with a David Chang sighting!) at new French restaurant Le Cou Cou. We enjoyed so many wonderful things, but the Oeuf Norvegien won us over with its poached egg, smoked salmon, and artichoke deliciousness. The restaurant was buzzing with an excited energy and the service was top notch. We can't wait to return!

We started and ended our day overlooking New York City. First, we had a tour of the historic, and recently renovated (2014) Rainbow Room. We loved every square inch of it with all its beautiful grandeur. (The window treatments are strings of Swarovski crystal!) We couldn't help but make our way back to the restaurant next door, SixtyFive(open to the public), for a nice cold glass of wine to end our day.

In between trips to Rockefeller Center, we were able to fit in a few appointments, starting with a special tasting offered by the talented Cloud Catering & Eventsin Long Island City. We were impressed by the table presentation (centerpieces custom created just for us!) and the food was fantastic. Of note, a liquid nitrogen demonstration which resulted in frozen s'mores. Need I say more?

Our final appointment (before wine) was a site visit at the stunning Morgan Library & Museum. This museum and event space has several venues to choose from for hosting events, which range in size from a small meeting room housed within the historic town home to the massive subterranean theater. We highly recommend a visit (and if you're around this month, you can enjoy their Warhol by the Book exhibit, which features Andy Warhol's career as a book artist)!

Gina's second trip to NYC included two wine cocktail demonstrations; the first at One World Trade Center and the second at NYC & Co.'s offices. We had the best time encouraging unique wine cocktail combinations using bitters, shrubs, and Schramsberg. And the participants discovered that chocolate bitters with quince shrubs isn't so crazy after all!

The artwork at the entrance of One World Trade Center.

We ended with a light, refreshing meal at Rebelle. We shared everything and particularly loved the appetizers of white asparagus, buerre blanc, summer truffle and the kohlrabi, daikon, brebis, buckwheat (pictured below). Until next time!

Our Founder, Gina King, spent a few days in NYC earlier this month. Here's a snapshot of the venues, events, and wine we experienced during her trip:

So close, dagnabbit!

We started our day with a little R+D at Escape the Room: The Home. While we did not manage to actually escape within the 60 minute time frame, we were inspired to create some new wine activations. Stay tuned!

After a quick (and delicious) lunch at Eataly, we went to the beautiful Baccarat Hotel where we had the privilege to tour the quaint but especially thoughtful meeting space, the stunning Grand Salon and Bar, and the well-appointed (and luxurious) sleeping rooms. This hotel with all of its amenities is one of the finest we've seen in some time! To end a lovely tour, we learned that the remarkable entrance artwork is actually made entirely of Baccarat crystal goblets (see images below)! Learn more here:Baccarat Hotel

In preparation for a client wine activation demonstration, we went toDoughnut Plantto pick out doughnuts to pair with Schramsberg 2013 Blanc de Blancs and NV Avinyo Rosat Reserva Brut Cava. We chose the vanilla bean yeast and cinnamon sugar respectively. Yum!

Doughnut artwork at Doughnut Plant in Chelsea.

Our day ended with a funky glass of Rebula, Movia, Primorska, Slovenia 2011 for Gina and a satisfying glass of Albarino, La Val, Rias Baixas 2014 for me at the casually chic wine bar Aldo Sohm from Le Bernadin's master sommelier. Until next month, cheers!

The sublime artwork outside Aldo Sohm was echoed throughout the plaza it is situated within.

Our Founder, Gina King, lives in San Francisco, but is a (maybe just part-time) New Yorker at heart. She travels to NYC about once a month and we make sure to cram as many site visits, lunches, meetings, dinners, and networking events in as possible while she's here. Here's a brief recap from her February visit:

One of three Sky Pods at St. Cloud (within the green structure).

Our day started overlooking Times Square at the historic Knickerbocker Hotel rooftop, St. Cloud. We loved the Sky Pods, which are semi-private lounge areas tucked into the hotel's existing architectural structures. We took a look at the modest, but well-appointed meeting space and Charlie Palmer's beautiful restaurant afterwards. We loved our experience at the newly renovated Knickerbocker Hotel down to the quaint coffee shop, Jake's, located within what looks like an old subway tunnel. Find out more about this historical landmark here: Knickerbocker History.

After a delicious lunch at David Burke's fabrick, we moved on to the Langham Hotel, home of Michelin-star awarded Ai Fiori and a stunning, freshly renovated 3rd floor event space. All of their meeting rooms are equipped with user-friendly and extremely useful technology (i.e. touch screen control panels, large screen TVs, and power outlets for both plugs and USBs). We loved the custom curated art on display in the event space and the hospitality was top notch. Learn more here: Langham Hotel Events.

Setting up the s'mores station by Creative Edge Parties.

On to an event industry networking event hosted by 620 Loft & Garden. We've worked with this venue for years and love its blank canvas and coveted outdoor rooftop space overlooking St. Patrick's Cathedral. This night, however, we focused on the vendors, catering, and entertainment. The winner in our book was Creative Edge Parties, who created this stunning, unique, and delicious deconstructed s'mores bar!

Pure deliciousness at Toro.

Our final stop was for dinner at the chef's table at Toro. We basically ordered the whole menu and every morsel of food was divine (another uni panini, please!). We shared a bottle of 2007 Raventos de Nit Rosado Cava (a refreshing crowd pleaser, which paired well with all of our decadent selections). This restaurant is a lively, massive Spanish tapas heaven playing nothing but old school hip-hop jams (Can I kick it? Yes, you can!). The perfect end to a lovely day!

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Domaine Somm

Your partner in wine.

Discover and enjoy wines that are perfect for the occasion. We are a team of sommeliers who elevate experiences with wine. Our team curates custom selections of boutique, artisan-crafted wine for events and gifts.